1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of image forming apparatuses, memory management methods, and memory management program products.
2. Description of the Related Art
Technologies related to multifunction peripherals (MFP) are developing, such as increasingly high-performance Central Processing Units (CPU), larger memories, increasingly high-speed communication technologies, and more sophisticated imaging technologies. With the development of these technologies, in addition to a digital copier having a single function, there is provided a digital MFP having multiple functions such as those of a fax machine, a printer, and a scanner. Such a digital MFP is used in various scenes of the user's environment. This kind of MFP (high-end model copier) is provided with various applications for performing multiple functions. FIG. 16 schematically illustrates a standard memory area provided in a high-end model copier, and memory areas allocated to the installed applications. This schematic diagram indicates that the standard memory in a high-end model copier has a memory area (for example, a RAM area) that is large enough to be allocated to multiple applications.
A product that is positioned opposite from the high-end model copier is a low-end model copier (low-cost copier), which is used in small-scale offices (SOHO) (for example, patent document 1). FIG. 17 schematically illustrates a standard memory area provided in a low-end model copier, and the memory area allocated to the installed application. This kind of copier is only provided with a single function such as a copier function to limit the size of the installed memory, thereby reducing cost. Meanwhile, there is a strong demand for a low-end model copier having multiple functions. Such a demand can be accommodated by optionally adding functions (extension functions) to implement multiple functions. FIG. 18 schematically illustrates optional memories added to a low-end model copier. FIG. 19 schematically illustrates optional memories added to the low-end model copier, and memory areas allocated to the applications corresponding to the optional memory areas.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2006-001195
However, the low-end model copier described in patent document 1 is designed, in line with its concept, to have a pre-installed standard memory capacity that is much smaller than that of a high-end model copier. For example, a copier that only has a copy function does not include a high-capacity storage such as a HDD; the installed memory only has the minimum storage area (work area) required for performing a copying process. A low-end model copier cannot be provided with a high-capacity memory due to cost restraints, and therefore only a low-capacity memory is provided. Typically, a low-end model copier only has a single function (for example, only a copy function). Accordingly, when the low-end model copier is activated, a memory area is allocated to the corresponding application in a static/fixed manner (memory mapping), and no subsequent changes are made (no subsequent changes are necessary).
Thus, in order to add an extension function to a low-end model copier, it is necessary to purchase an application program for implementing the extension function, and also an expensive physical memory for executing the application program. As a result of installing such an optional function, the user cannot enjoy the benefit of low cost, which is supposed to be the sales point of a low-end model copier.
Specifically, the user needs to purchase an optional component which is a combination of an extension function application program (ROM) and a memory (RAM) used as the work area of the program. As described above, a low-end model copier can be provided at low cost when it only includes the standard function (single application). However, when plural applications are installed, the user cannot enjoy the benefit of low cost.